Guide rail device for receiving a GBIC module

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a guide rail device for receiving a GBIC module therein.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,173, issued to Poplawski et, al. on Mar. 9, 1999, discloses a receptacle or guide rail for receiving a removeable optoelectronic module therein. FIGS. 10, 15, and 16 of Poplawski disclose a guide rail 372 having a box configuration, while FIGS. 14, 17 and 18 disclose another type of guide rail. U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,999, issued to Kayner on Jun. 16, 1998, discloses another type of guide rail for receiving a removeable optoelectronic module therein. Both Poplawski et, al. and Kayner disclose an electrical connector adapted for electrically engaging with a GBIC module received in the guide rail. The electrical connector is mounted on a printed circuit board by solders and does not engage with the guide rail, so is not supported by the guide rail. Therefore, when the GBIC module mates with the electrical connector, the mounting tails of the contacts of the electrical connector are subjected to a force by the GBIC module which may destroy the connection between the mounting tails and the mounting pads on the printed circuit board.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,172, issued to Babineau et al. on Apr. 4, 2000, suggests an arrangement of guide rails in two rows, as shown in FIG. 2 of Babineau. (Note that only one layer is clearly illustrated.) The upper guide rails would be mounted on an upper printed circuit board, while the lower guide rails would be mounted on a lower printed circuit board. Although Babineau et al. suggests the idea of arranging the guide rails in two different levels, the implementation of this idea is not cost effective because two different printed circuit boards are required.

[0007] Hence, an improved stand-off guide rail for receiving a GBIC module is required.

[0008] A first object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail elevated a given distance above a printed circuit board and a connector/connector assembly securely fixed to the guide rail; and

[0009] A second object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail elevated a given distance above a printed circuit board by supporting poles fastened to the printed circuit board.

[0010] To obtain the above objects, a guide rail for receiving a GBIC module therein comprises a frame defining a receiving space for receiving the GBIC module therein, a connector assembly fixed to the frame, and two pairs of supporting poles fastened to the frame by four bolts for elevating the frame a given distance above a printed circuit board. The frame includes four side lugs at outer walls thereof for attaching to selected ends of the respective supporting poles by the four bolts. Lower ends of the supporting poles are mounted onto the printed circuit board. The connector assembly has an extension downwardly extending beyond a bottom surface of the frame and mountable to the printed circuit board, also helping to elevate the frame a given distance above the printed circuit board.

[0011] The connector assembly includes a printed substrate, a first connector and a second connector mounted onto upper and lower surfaces of the printed circuit board. The first connector has two partitioning ribs on two opposite ends thereof and the frame defines two receiving slots in inner walls of side beams thereof which engageably receive the respective partitioning ribs therein, thereby securing the first connector to the frame.

[0012] The guide rail device further includes a metallic cover attached to the frame for providing EMI shielding to the GBIC module. The metallic cover has a hook downwardly extending from an end thereof and the first connector has an ear portion at a top thereof. The hook engageably attaches to the ear portion of the frame to provide a further retention of the first connector to the frame.

[0013] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of a guide rail of the present invention for receiving a GBIC module and a printed circuit board that the guide rail mounts on;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a frame and a first connector of the guide rail shown in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the frame and the metallic cover shown in FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partially exploded, perspective view of the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1, taken from a rear and right perspective;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but taken from a front and right perspective;

[0019] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partially exploded, perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 4;

[0020] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, partially exploded, perspective view of a second connector shown in FIG. 4;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the second connector taken along line VIII—VIII of FIG. 4;

[0022] FIG. 9 is an assembled, perspective view of the guide rail of the present invention taken from a top-rear perspective;

[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a stacked dual guide rails assembly; and

[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention relates to a guide rail 1 mountable onto a printed circuit board 2 (PCB) and adapted for receiving a giga-bit interface convertor (GBIC) module (not shown) therein and electrically connecting the GBIC module to the PCB 2. The guide rail 1 comprises a frame 10, generally made of metallic material, a metallic cover 12 attached to a top of the frame 10, an electrical connector assembly 14 engageably fixed to the frame 10, and four supporting poles 15 with fasteners 78 attached to the frame and the PCB 2 for elevating the frame 10 a predefined distance above the PCB 2.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 particularly, the frame 10 includes a pair of side beams 16, a rear wall 18 connecting rear ends 20 of the side beams 16, and a front portion 24. A port 22 is defined through the front portion 24 for entrance of the GBIC module. The frame defines a receiving space 26 between the side beams 16 and the rear wall 18 for receiving the GBIC module therein. Each side beam 16 defines a receiving slot 17 in an inner wall 19 thereof for retention of the connector assembly 14. The frame 10 also includes two pairs of side lugs 28 at opposite sides thereof, each defining a threaded hole 30 for passage of a fastener 78 therethrough to secure the frame to the supporting poles 15. A reinforced rib 31 is connected between the two side beams 16 of the frame 10 to strengthen the frame 10. The frame 10 further includes a door 32 pivotably attached to the front portion 24 thereof. The door 32 is closed relative to the port 22 before the entrance of the GBIC module and becomes open after the entrance of the GBIC module. The frame 10 provides a pair of posts 40 at a bottom thereof for pre-retention of the frame 10 onto the PCB 2 or onto a printed substrate 100. A pair of grounding plates 41 is attached to the front portion 24 of the frame 10 to assure adequate grounding between the guide rail 1 and an inserted GBIC module.

[0027] The metallic cover 12 includes a plate 34 and two side portions 36 bent 90 degrees from opposite edges of the plate 34 for attaching the metallic cover 12 to the frame 10. The metallic cover 12 provides an elastic arm 37 at an end thereof adjacent to the port 22 of the frame 10 for urging a portion 33 of the door 32 to a closed state relative to the port 22. The metallic cover 12 provides a hook 38 downwardly extending from an opposite end thereof for engaging with the connector assembly 14.

[0028] Referring particularly to FIGS. 4-6, the connector assembly 14 includes the printed substrate 100, a first connector 102 and a second connector 104 mounted onto top and bottom surfaces of the printed substrate 100. The first connector 102 includes an insulative housing 50 receiving a plurality of contacts 52 therein, a pair of grounding terminals 54 fixed to opposite side sections (not labeled) of the housing 50 and an EMI shell 56 attached to the housing 50 and enclosing a rear portion of the first connector 102. The first connector 102 has a mating portion 58 at a front portion thereof adapted for engaging with the GBIC module in the frame 10 and a mounting portion 59 at an opposite rear portion thereof for mounting onto the PCB 2 or the printed substrate 100. The housing 50 provides a pair of partitioning ribs 60 with teeth 61 thereon at the side sections thereof and an ear portion 62 at a top thereof. The ear portion 62 includes two upstands 64 and a blade 66 connected to the two upstands 64 and defines a recess 68 between the upstands 64 and the blade 66.

[0029] Referring particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, the second connector 104 includes an insulative extension 106, a terminal module 108 assembled to the insulative extension 106 and a metallic shield 110 enclosing the insulative extension 106 and the terminal module 108 to provide EMI shielding to the second connector 104. The insulative extension 106 defines a plurality of cavities 112 therethrough. The terminal module 108 includes a plurality of terminals 114 arranged in rows, held by an insulative base 116. The metallic shield 110 provides a pair of board-locks 118 at opposite sides thereof which are mountable onto the printed substrate 100 in an upside-down fashion to provide a grounding trace for the metallic shield 110. The cavities 112 each receive a respective terminal 114 therein and have a dimension larger than the transverse size of the respective terminal 114 to achieve a desired impedance of the terminals 114. Thus, a narrow air space (not labeled) exists between each terminal 114 and interior sidewalls (not labeled) of each corresponding cavity 112. Furthermore, each cavity 112 includes an outlet (not labeled) at a lower end thereof dimensioned such that the corresponding terminal 114 is snugly fitted therein (see FIG. 8).

[0030] When assembled in the completed connector assembly 14, the contacts 52 of the first connector 102 and the terminals 114 of the second connector 104 both electrically connect with printed circuit traces (not shown) in the printed substrate 100. In this way, the contacts 52 are electrically connected with the terminals 114. Furthermore, the grounding terminals 54 and the EMI shell 56 of the first connector 102, as well as the board locks 118 of the second connector 104 all electrically connect with grounding circuit traces in the printed substrate 100, assuring grounding continuity between the first and second connectors.

[0031] Also referring to FIG. 9, in assembly, the metallic cover 12 is downwardly assembled to the frame 10 by the engagement of the side portions 36 thereof with the side beams 16. The elastic arm 37 elastically urges the door 32 to a closed state. The connector assembly 14 is upwardly assembled to the frame 10 by the engagement of the first connector 102 with the two side beams 16. The partitioning ribs 60 are fixedly received in the respective receiving slots 17 in the side beams 16 and the teeth 61 securely engage with peripheral walls of the receiving slots 17, thereby securely retaining the first connector 102 to the frame 10. The hook 38 of the metallic cover 12 hooks the ear portion 62 of the first connector 102 with keys 43 (See FIG. 1) thereof received in the recess 68. The four supporting poles 15 are attached to the corresponding side lugs 28 by the four fasteners 78, i.e. bolts, and to the PCB 2 via solders. The terminals 114 of the second connector 104 are electrically and mechanically connected to the PCB 2. The second connector 104 and the four supporting poles 15 elevate the frame 10 a predefined distance above the PCB 2 and a space 120 (labeled in FIG. 9) for receiving a second guide rail 122 (shown in FIG. 10) is defined between a bottom surface 124 of the first frame 10 and an upper surface 126 of the PCB 2.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 11, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The guide rail 1 includes a modified first connector 3 having contacts downwardly extending and directly mounting into the PCB 2.

[0033] Please note that, instead of having a separate metallic cover 12 covering the frame 10 to provide EMI protection, the frame itself might be metallic and integrally form the cover itself.

[0034] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.